The impacts of both predators are concentrated in some regions more than others. One cat, one year, 110 native animals: lock up your pet, it's a killing machine Pet cats kill another 500 million animals. In total, feral cats kill 1.5 billion animals every year (not including invertebrates and frogs). Nationally, feral cats kill about five times more reptiles, two and a half times more birds and twice as many mammals than foxes. Nicolas Rakotopare () Foxes and cats: a deadly combinationĪlthough they eat many of the same species, foxes take larger prey than cats and have a bigger toll on kangaroos, wallabies and potoroos.Ĭats eat smaller prey, so eat a lot more of them. However, we didn’t tally their impact on turtle eggs (or on fish, frogs or insects) because of insufficient data - they’re highly digestible and often hard to identify in fox poo.Ĭarrion (dead animals) account for an average of 10% of fox diets, but we excluded carrion in the estimated numbers of animals killed.įairy wrens and other birds that nest and feed near the ground are vulnerable to foxes and cats. This included 49,458 fox poo and stomach samples, and fox density estimates at 437 locations.įoxes are also known to eat bird and reptile eggs, and threaten the breeding success of many turtle species. Our findings are underpinned by modelling data assembled from almost 100 field studies. Changes in rabbit and mice populations are largely driven by climate fluctuations. While rabbits and house mice form a major part of fox diets, there’s no evidence foxes (or cats) limit their numbers. They also kill livestock, such as lambs, piglets and chickens. Stobo-Wilson et al, Diversity and Distributions, 2022.įoxes also kill another 259 million non-native invasive animals every year, predominately house mice and rabbits. ![]() The Victorian government estimates there are as many as 16 foxes per square kilometre in Melbourne.įoxes and feral cats together kill 2.6 billion animals every year. They’re largely absent from tropical northern Australia and Tasmania.īy comparison, cats occur over more than 99.9% of the country, including on far more islands.įox densities are highest in temperate mainland regions, including forests and farms, and near urban areas where food and shelter are abundant. Our study estimates there are now 1.7 million foxes in Australia, spread across 80% of the mainland and on 50 Australian islands. They continue to boost fox numbers today. Rabbits and hares are not only a food source for foxes, they also eat the vegetation that native animals need for food, habitat, and to hide from predators. From 1845, foxes were released into the wild in Victoria for the “sport” of hunting them on horseback with a pack of hounds.įox populations soon exploded, thanks to the deliberate introduction of rabbits and hares in the 1800s. PartnersĬharles Darwin University, Australian National University, and Murdoch University provide funding as members of The Conversation AU.Įuropean colonisers brought foxes (and cats) to Australia. The research received funding from the Australian Government's National Environmental Science Program through the Threatened Species Recovery Hub (which ended in Dec 2021).Īlyson Stobo-Wilson and Trish Fleming do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. ![]() The research received funding from the Australian Government's National Environmental Science Program through the Threatened Species Recovery Hub (which ended in Dec 2021). John Woinarski is a director of Australian Wildlife Conservancy. He is a member of the Australian Government's Threatened Species Scientific Committee. He received funding from the Australian Government's National Environmental Science Program through the Threatened Species Recovery Hub (which ended in Dec 2021). Jaana Dielenberg previously received funding from the Threatened Species Recovery Hub but does not currently work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article.īrett Murphy receives funding from the Australian Research Council. Professor, Australian National UniversityĢ3 scientists contributed to the research described in this article. Professor (conservation biology), Charles Darwin University ![]() Postdoctoral Research Associate, Charles Darwin UniversityĪssociate Professor / ARC Future Fellow, Charles Darwin University University Fellow, Charles Darwin University Jaana Dielenberg is a Friend of The Conversation.
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